March31-2007

Christians are fleeing Lebanon to escape political and economic crises and signs that radical Islam is onthe rise in the country.

In a poll to be published next month which was exclusively leaked to The Sunday Telegraph, nearly halfof all Maronites, the largest Christian denomination in the country, said they were consideringemigrating. Of these, more than 100,000 have submitted visa applications to foreign embassies. Theirexodus could have a devastating effect on the country, robbing it of an influential minority which hasacted as an important counter-balance to the forces of Islamic extremism.

About 60,000 Christians have already left since last summer's war between Israel and Hezbollah. Manywho remain fear that a violent showdown between rival Sunni and Shia factions is looming.

"If we love our children we have to tell them to get out," said Maria, a Christian mother of one from thenorthern city of Tripoli, who refused to give her surname for fear of reprisal. "When my daughterfinished her high school I sent her to Europe, and I will follow her if I can."

Christine, another Christian woman, said that all of her family's younger generation had left the country,adding that Tripoli had become increasingly Islamised in recent years. There is a rising number of veiledwomen and religiously bearded men on the streets - although she blamed economic and politicalinstability for much of the emigration. Christians, who make up 22 per cent of the population, havehistorically played a major role in the development of Lebanon's political, social and cultural institutions.

Currently the president, the army commander and the head of the central bank are all Maronites, andunder the agreement which ended the civil war in 1989, half the 128 seats in Lebanon's parliament arereserved for Christians.

"Lebanon has always been a bastion of religious tolerance, but now it is moving towards the model ofIslamisation seen in Iraq and Egypt," said Fr Samir Samir, a Jesuit teacher of Islamic studies at Beirut'sUniversité Saint-Joseph.

Lebanon's Christian community is concerned that its influence is waning as a result of a continuinginternal power struggle, which for the past five months has pitted a Sunni-led government againsta predominantly Shia opposition, spearheaded by the Shia militant group Hezbollah. The collapsein influence has been exacerbated by a roughly equal spilt in support among Christians for rival Shiaand Sunni leaders. The battle between Muslim factions has paralysed the Lebanese administrationand crippled the economy.

The exodus of young workers crosses the religious spectrum. Some 22 per cent of Shias and 26 per centof Sunnis say they are considering going abroad, according to the study by Information International,an independent Beirut-based research body.